Scott R E, Ward V L, Grinstead G F, Stevens B S, Wilson D M
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
Clin Chem. 1988 Mar;34(3):582-5.
Malignant melanoma, a disease that is increasing in occurrence and medical concern, is characterized by the excretion of melanogens. Two qualitative tests are recommended for melanogen detection, the Thormählen test and the ferric chloride test. We evaluated the laboratory and clinical performance of these tests by subsequently re-evaluating 201 urine samples that had been submitted for routine melanogen analysis. We used (a) Thormählen, (b) ferric chloride, (c) small-scale thin-layer chromatography, and (d) spectrophotometry. Nearly 30% of Thormählen test results were equivocal. The ferric chloride test was of no value in itself or in categorizing equivocal Thormählen results as positive or negative. The small-scale chromatography was irreproducible. Prompt scanning of the Thormählen reaction product was helpful in classifying equivocal results. History review of 121 histopathologically diagnosed melanoma patients indicated that these qualitative assays were of no clinical value in the diagnosis or monitoring of melanoma patients.
恶性黑色素瘤是一种发病率不断上升且备受医学关注的疾病，其特征是黑色素原的排泄。推荐用于检测黑色素原的两种定性试验是托姆ählen试验和氯化铁试验。我们通过随后重新评估201份提交进行常规黑色素原分析的尿液样本，评估了这些试验的实验室和临床性能。我们使用了（a）托姆ählen试验、（b）氯化铁试验、（c）小规模薄层色谱法和（d）分光光度法。近30%的托姆ählen试验结果不明确。氯化铁试验本身或在将不明确的托姆ählen试验结果分类为阳性或阴性方面均无价值。小规模色谱法不可重复。对托姆ählen反应产物进行快速扫描有助于对不明确的结果进行分类。对121例经组织病理学诊断的黑色素瘤患者的病史回顾表明，这些定性检测在黑色素瘤患者的诊断或监测中没有临床价值。
